Mums make merry at SMK Mother’s Day

Walking the ramp and boogieing to Bollywood made for a memorable and successful evening

 
For a group of devotees of Sankat Mochan Samiti (SMS), the Sankat Mochan Kendra (SMK) has now become a real passion, leading them towards active fundraising to establish SMK. As a part of this initiative, they organised a Mother’s Day dinner and dance event on May 11, at the Spirit of India Reception Centre.
The evening began with a welcome address by Deepa Bhatia, the main organiser of the function, followed by a series of songs relating to Mother’s Day that were melodiously sung by Arvind Shrivastava, Rajeev Gossain and Rakhil. Dr Sunila Shrivastava, President of SMS then took the stage and offered a brief description about the organisation’s objectives and activities. Community leaders Dr Santosh Kumar, President of NRISA; Dr Arun Kumar, Past President of Hindi Niketan and IIT’s Past Students Association; and Dr Dinesh Parikh, Trustee of HSV Cultural Centre were invited to share their views about the activities of SMS. They complimented the efforts of SMS towards its religious involvement, social welfare and educational activities, and promised their continual support.
While the entrée was being served and guests walked around the various jewellery and cosmetics stalls, the next segment of the evening was handed over to the younger generation. Neha Bhatia led a fashion parade of a different kind to beats provided by DJ Kartik.  Neha, accompanied by Ruchi, Rhea and Ashunta gathered mothers of all ages from the audience to participate in a fun filled fashion show, where they were asked unique questions and the opportunity to win exciting prizes.
It was a very entertaining evening, enjoyed by all present to the extent that there was an overwhelming suggestion from the floor to organise a similar function to celebrate Father’s Day on August 31.  Such was the enthusiasm from the audience that the date was fixed on the spot, and a few people even came forward to volunteer to organise the Father’s Day fundraising event for the SMK. A separate account has been established for SMK, and to date, collections stand at more than $20,000. There is also a verbal commitment from devotees of nearly $50,000.
Sankat Mochan Samiti (SMS) extends its appreciation to Deepa Bhatia, Satish and Manju Gossain, Krishen and Santosh Pandita, and Vinita Bhatia for organising this wonderful initiative, and to all the ‘young by age, young at heart’ people who actively participated in the events of the evening. Support from NRISA members, Raghav Bhatia’s team and the excellent MC work done by Neha Bhatia and the judging team, collectively contributed to a very successful and memorable Mother’s Day celebration.
Upcoming events will be the Sankat Mochan Mahotsava on July 27, Father’s Day fundraiser on August 31, and Mata Ki Chowki and garba dance to celebrate Shardeeya Navaratri on October 5.
Your support is solicited for assisting us in the functions organised by SMS.  Please send us your response and suggestions by e-mail at sankatmochasamiti@gmail.com or by ringing Sunila on 0427 274 462.  We look forward to your devotional participation in these activities.